Radiator



y 19, 31- R. N. TRANE 1,306,186

RADIATOR Original Filed April 23, 1926 J72 2 678 2"07" JEeu/awzW@7312/26.

Patented May 19, 1931 FFIC -. or LA caossn, wrsconsm i, IATOR Originalapplication filed April 28, 1928, Serial No. 104,196. Divided and thisapplication filed May 81,

1928. Serial No. 282,002. I

This invention relates to radiator units and to devices for forming saidunits, and is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No.104,196 filed April 23, 1926.

My invention relates to radiators, and more especially to radiators usedin steam, vacuum or hot water heating systems and employing amultiplicity of fins of thin sheet metal in heat-conducting relation tothe heat tube portion of the radiator, which contains the heatingmedium. In heating a room, such a radia ator, as compared with the usualcast iron radiator, operates more upon the principle of conduction ofair than upon the principle of radiation.

One of the chief objects of my invention is to provide an improvedheat-conducting contact between the fins and the heat tube whereby verythin sheet metal may be used for the fins and the heat tube may be ofrelatively ing capacity, has a volume, floor area, weight,

height and cost considerably less than the usual cast iron radiatorconstruction. As compared with the usual design of cast iron radiators,my radiator unit described inthis specification, for example, has but60% of the manufacturing cost, 8% or 10% of the weight, and less floorspace.

A further feature of my invention is that it enables the use of finsmade from very thin sheet metal,- but which are so designed that theyare sufficiently strong and have a maximum area available for heatradiation.-

A further object of my invention is to probeeln found to give verysatisfactory result. an

vide an improved means for securing the fins tothe tube.

Other objects will be apparent as the detail description of my inventionproceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which rep resent preferred embodiments ofmy invention and in which like parts are indicated b similar referencecharacters (the same re erence characters being used as were used in theparent application referred to above),

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a form of my radiator unit; v

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through the unit which may beconsidered as taken along the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section along a heat tube with spacing ringshaving cammed or tapered inner peripheries for effecting heat conductingcontact between the fin flanges and the tube.

In Figures 1 and 2 I have shown a form of my radiator unit employing apair of spaced tubes T conveniently formed by bending a single-tube intoa U-shape. A multi plicityof closely spaced fins F formed from very thinsheet metal are fixed-upon the spaced tubes making contact therewith byald of flanges f struck out from the sheet stock of the fins about themargins of spaced openings through whichthe respective tubes pass. I

In order to keep the radiator as light as possible, I prefer to use verythin metal for Sheet copper .007 inch thick has a minimum weight.Obviously the flanges f struck from such sheets will not .have enoughstrength to form and maintain a good heat-conducting contact with theouter surface of a tube'T; and also the flanges are neither strongenough nor thick enough to serve as spacers between adJacent finswithout danger of the flanges overlapping" or being crimped. To overcomethesedifii-' culties, I provide spacing rings or ferrules ll which aredis osed as sleeves about the outer peri heries o the flanges f and withthe faces of t e rin s abuttin the opposed faces of adi'acent ns F.These spacing rings not on y serve as relatively unyielding sleevesbetween which and the tubes the flanges 7, may be tightly andpermanently compressed to preserve a firm heat conducting contact over alarge area between the fins and the tubes, 10 but also supplement theheat conduction by reason of the contact between the faces of the ringsand the flanges of the fins thereby serving much as hubs to augment thecrosssectional areaof heat conduction where the heat conduction mustnecessarily be the most concentrated in its'path from the tube to theradiatin surfaces of the fins.-

In .or er to avoid any complications from varying coefficients ofexpansion, I make the tubes T, the fins F and the spacing rin s R all ofcopper and, at least in those metho s of assembly wherein I ex and thetube in order to press the tube and n tightly-against each other andagainst the spacmg ring; I prefer to maintain a proportion between thethicknesses of the three elements somewhat as follows: The fins areformed from sheet stock .007 inch thick, the shell of the tube '1 isabout .020 inch thick and the spacing rings Various methods of effectingheat-conducting contact between the fins and the tube may be employedasdescribed in the parent appliembodiment of my radiator structure and themeans for securing the fins on the tube,-

aperture through'which said tube isinserted,

a flan e on said fin adapted to bear against the tu e, and a channelshaped reinforcing 'ring comprising an annular cam portlon whereby saidring pinches said flange against said tube. i

2. In combination a tube, a plurality of are stamped from stock about.030 inch thick.

While I have described in detail preferred rin s "whereby said ringpinchessaid flange agamst the tube.

3. In combination a tube, a heat radiatin UBEN N. TRANE.

heat radiating fins provided with apertures O5 to space said fins and toreinforce said flanges,

a continuous annular cam portion (in said

